The present invention relates generally to a buoyancy compensator assembly in which an inflatable bladder is used to control a diver's buoyancy.
A buoyancy compensator or control device (BCD) is currently used by scuba divers to regulate their buoyancy during the course of a dive. The need for this regulation results from changes in the diver's water weight and water displacement during the course of a dive. For example, the diver's weight in water/displacement will change as a result of the compression of gas in the wetsuit or dry suit they are wearing with increased depth. The average diver experiences up to five pounds change in water weight as a result of air consumed from the tank or scuba cylinder. There are also times when diver's may want to change their buoyancy as a result of environmental conditions. For example, a diver in current may want to dive heavy to facilitate staying in one place on the bottom. On the surface, a diver may want additional positive buoyancy for better surface flotation.
Buoyancy compensators typically consist of an inflatable bladder carried or worn by the diver and a diver actuated control device for controlling addition of gas to the bladder or venting of gas from the bladder to control buoyancy. In the most widely used buoyancy compensators, the bladder is mounted on the diver's back. The air supply tank is also worn on the diver's back, while the control device for controlling supply from the tank to the bladder, and the diver's breathing mouthpiece, are at the front of the diver. Thus, various air hoses must be routed from the tank to the front of the diver and from the front of the diver to the buoyancy compensator. Currently, divers typically have multiple hoses running from the first stage regulator mounted on the air or scuba cylinder. These hoses typically are routed out and around the inflatable bladder of the BCD and around the diver's body. As the bladder inflates, the hose route becomes longer. Thus, the hoses must be made longer than necessary. Additionally, the presence of multiple hoses running around the outside of the diver's body and inflatable bladder increases the risk of entanglement. Entanglement of air hoses is one of the most common causes of diving accidents.